Pro Ball in Okinawa
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Pro Ball in Okinawa
I'm new to this site and was wondering why Okinawa doesn't have a professional team? It would make a good market and the fan base would be great since there would be no other teams on island. Also, if there was a team on the island, it would give military personel some live exposure of the game.
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Re: Pro Ball in Okinawa
[ Author: Kiyoshi | Posted: Dec 25, 2005 1:41 PM
| HAN Fan
]
Some of the reasons that Okinawa does not have a NPB team include:
- Okinawa was under U.S. administration from 1945 until returned to Japan in 1972.
- Most of the NPB teams have been concentrated in the Kanto and Kansai regions. Exeptions are the Hiroshima Carp; the Lions and Hawks in Fukuoka; Lotte Orions and Rakuten Golden Eagles in Sendai; and in 2004 the Nippon Ham Fighters moved to Sapporo.
- Long distance from the rest of the NPB teams.
- Too small a population base - Naha, the largest city, only has 314,000 inhabitants and the entire Okinawa prefecture has only 1,319,000 people.
Re: Pro Ball in Okinawa
[ Author: Guest | Posted: Dec 26, 2005 1:42 AM
]
Interesting question. The minor league system in Japan is only one level (12 teams) deep, and very dependent on the parent NPB clubs, so much so that most of the minor league clubs have the same name as the parent club and play in the same or neiboring city in a smaller practice field with very little seating.
Similarly, populated and remote Hawaii doesn't have a pro ball club since the Islanders left in 1988, right?
Similarly, populated and remote Hawaii doesn't have a pro ball club since the Islanders left in 1988, right?
Re: Pro Ball in Okinawa
[ Author: westbaystars | Posted: Dec 26, 2005 8:58 AM
| YBS Fan
]
This post comes coincidentally right after I'd read about a new Okinawan semi-pro league being formed, similar to the Shikoku Island League that formed last year.
Unfortunately, I can't find where I had read that (things being very busy of late at work and home), so that's all I recall about it right now. I did find this blog entry on the "Shikoku Island League Oen Site," in Japanese, mentioning the formation of independent leagues in Okinawa and and Tohoku, but again, no details.
So I think that you may have some minor league quality baseball down there in Okinawa starting in 2006. Hopefully more information will be coming shortly.
Unfortunately, I can't find where I had read that (things being very busy of late at work and home), so that's all I recall about it right now. I did find this blog entry on the "Shikoku Island League Oen Site," in Japanese, mentioning the formation of independent leagues in Okinawa and and Tohoku, but again, no details.
So I think that you may have some minor league quality baseball down there in Okinawa starting in 2006. Hopefully more information will be coming shortly.
New Leagues Planned for 2006
[ Author: Guest: Michael Eng | Posted: Dec 27, 2005 12:53 AM
]
Here's the planned leagues' websites:
U Okinawa League
Japanese
Translated into English through Nifty Global Gate
Sendai League
Japanese
There is also the Japanese Independant League which is being headed by former pitcher Takenori Emoto. Emoto was the Vice-Commissioner of the independent United States-based Golden Baseball League last year and plans for the league first surfaced in 2004 [Japan Times]. According to Puro Yakyu (in Japanese), the league plans on having 8 city-based teams (minimum of 100,000 people; 3,000 attendees) play a 98 game season from April 28th to September 8th. There will also be no age restriction.
U Okinawa League
Japanese
Translated into English through Nifty Global Gate
Sendai League
Japanese
There is also the Japanese Independant League which is being headed by former pitcher Takenori Emoto. Emoto was the Vice-Commissioner of the independent United States-based Golden Baseball League last year and plans for the league first surfaced in 2004 [Japan Times]. According to Puro Yakyu (in Japanese), the league plans on having 8 city-based teams (minimum of 100,000 people; 3,000 attendees) play a 98 game season from April 28th to September 8th. There will also be no age restriction.
Re: New Leagues Planned for 2006
[ Author: Something Lions | Posted: Dec 27, 2005 3:05 PM
| SL Fan
]
Interestingly, the comments at the bottom of the Pro Yakyu article seem to point at Misawa's International Baseball Academy (IBA) being involved. And apparently this Misawa character has a rather bad rep in the Japanese baseball community for making a living off taking (a big?) cut from sending non-drafted players and baseball exchange players to the States. Sometimes even bringing these players over to the States without proper visas which can lead to abuse.
Re: New Leagues Planned for 2006
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